1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to void filling apparatus for filling interstices to prevent separated items of cargo in a confined carrier from shifting or tipping toward each other during transport and, particularly, to a hollow, collapsible void filling apparatus and method of using same.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97-1.99
Numerous void filling structures, or void fillers, are known of the type having a substantially hollow collapsible body of cardboard or the like and a hanger for suspending the void filler between two spaced stacks of freight to be kept separated from tipping, sliding or otherwise shifting during transport.
Honey combed structures are used in the void fillers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,593,671 of Bramlett issued Jul. 26, 1971; 3,854,426 of Kinnune, Jr. issued Dec. 17, 1974; 4,109,587 of Jansen, Jr. issued Aug. 29, 1978; 4,372,717 of Sewell et al. issued Feb. 8, 1983 and 4,386,881 of Liebel issued Jun. 7, 1983. The problem with these honey combed structures, however, is that they are not readily lockable into an expanded state and their elongate, thin and flexible bodies are cumbersome to handle. Consequently, they are difficult to install, to remove and to store or transport.
Void fillers made of single box-like structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,534,691 of Carlomagno, Jr. issued Oct. 20, 1970; 4,363,579 of Rogers issued Dec. 14, 1992 and 4,494,897 of Rogers issued Jan. 22, 1985. While these single box void filler somewhat overcome the cumbersome characteristics of the honey combed structures, they lack handles for use in handling. Also, they often present sharp cutting edges at the ends which render grasping the void fillers from the ends difficult, if not dangerous. Accordingly, the common method of handling known fillers is to hold them by their sides to avoid the sharp edged ends. In addition, some have simple box-like structures which have loose members that are difficult to assemble for use and to disassemble for storage. Others employ members which block visibility through the void filler from the ends and thereby reduce safety and hinder installation and handling in general.
More recently void fillers have been developed which employ a pair of rectilinear hollow members which are secured together to provide an intermediate wall between the top and bottom walls of the void filler for enhanced rigidity. These are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,376 of Wojdyla issued Mar. 19, 1991 and 5,102,272 of Woods et al. issued Apr. 7, 1992. Disadvantageously, however, only single wall construction is used to form the top and bottom walls. Moreover, supplemental, multiple cross support members which extend between and connected to all opposite sides of both hollow members are required to obtain sufficient strength and to maintain the hollow members in an operative, noncollapsed configuration. These cross members block viewing through the hollow members. Visibility is blocked even to a greater extent than in the single box-like void fillers. Consequently, a handler must look around the void filler to see where it is located relative to the void to be filled in addition to not being able to see his own feet to create a significant safety problem, greater fatigue and reduced efficiency. In addition, because these supplemental cross support members are interconnected between opposite sides, substantial time for assembly from a collapsed condition and for disassembly to return the void filler to a noncollapsed condition is required.